Electrical starter for racing dogs



Jan. 14, 1930.

A. E. BLAND 1,743,875

ELECTRICAL STARTER FOR RACING DOGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 28. 1927A? gnuentoz I 1 n9 /3 IZZZBZanvZ Jan. 14; 1930. ND 1;743,875

ELECTRICAL STARTER FOR RACING DOGS Filed Dec. 28. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 26 Ho: new

Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED EDWARD LELAND,OF COLUMBUS, OHIO ELECTRICAL STARTER FOR RACING DOGS Application filedDecember 28, 1927. Serial No. 243,088.

or starter holds the dog and upon a pistol and do not get the startgiven to the other dogs.

Starting boxes have also been provided having doors urged to a fullyopened positionand held in a closed position by a latching device,mechanism being provided whereby all of the latches may be released atone time to permit all of the dogs to be started at the same instant,theseboxes being further constructed so that the dog may see out andthus may be prepared,,for the start.

The general object of my invention is to provide a latching mechanism ofa very simple and elfective character which will hold two swinging doorsclosed, but which when released will permit the simultaneous opening ofboth doors of each starting box, this mechanism being electricallyreleasable.

A further object is to provide a starting box with a door formed of twospring opened leaves, the joined edges of the leaves being cut away toprovide an opening through which the dog may project his head andprovide a latch holding the door closed and means for releasing thelatch.

Another object is to provide a latch normally holding both doors closedagainst the action of a spring, the latch being electrically releasable,each starting box being provided with such a latch and having meanswhereby electrical wires may be plugged into the box, the box beingcapable of being located anywhere along the track so as to provide forhandicapping certain of the dogs if necessary.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompalnying drawing, wherein 1 boxor, racing dogs constructedin accordance with my invention, portions ofthe box bemg .partly broken away;

re 1 is a side elevation of a starting 1 Figure 2'is a front elevationwith the doors closed;

v Figure 3 is a top plan view with the doors closed;

Figure 4 is a to plan view partly in section and showing t e doors open;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the doors closed;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the electrically actuated latch;

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view; Figure 8 is;a section on the line 8-8 ofFig. 6;

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6. i i

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the starting box 10 isrectan ular in form and is provided with the two oors 11, these doorsbeing hinged at theiroutside edges by spring hinges 12 to the side walls13 of the box or to the forward frame members 14 thereof, and when thesedoors swing open under the action of the spring hinges they swing to astraight-ahead position, as shown in Figure 4. The two doors are formedwith conjoined cut-away portions 15 disposed at approximately the heightof the dogs head so-that the dog may lookout of the box, see what ishappening, and see at the end of the coursehis master or trainer wavingthe white rag which incites the dogs .to make their the transverse crossbar 18 which may be held to the members 14 by means of the corner pieces19. j

Pivotally mounted upon ears 2O gifts-wheel ;to this cross bar 18 is a.latch 21 having a downwardly extending tooth. One. of the doors 11 isprovided with tlll'll'Oll 22 which,

when the doors are closed, extends over the ber' is formed by arelatively wide leaf or strap of metal 24 which is attached at one endto the latch. The other extremity of this member passes into a slot 25formed in a casing 26, this casing beingmounted, upon the top of thebox. A coiled sprin 27 extends upward from the top of the box andengages at its upper end with the strap 24. This coiled spring is acontractile spring and acts to urge the member 24 downward at its rearend, and when'thelatch is ,depressed the spring is flexed forward andthe rear end of the member 24 is raised;

For the purpose of holding the member 24 raised at its rear end againstthe action of the spring 27, I provide the mechanism illustrated inFigures 6 to 9, this mechanism being disposed within the casing 26. Themechanism comprises a frame 28 which supports a pair of electro-magnets29 and a hinged or pivoted armature 30. This armature is formed with alaterally projecting lug 31. Also mounted in the frame is a keeper orlatch 32 which is provided with the outwardly projecting lip 33. Thiskeeper orllatch is pivoted in the frame 28 for oscillation and is formedwith the outwardly pro ecting tongue 34. The pivot pin upon which this Ykeeper is mounted is surrounded by a coiled contractile spring 35.Thespring 35 acts to urge the latch 32 in a counter-clockwise directionin Figure 8 and the extremity of the latch operating member 24 issupported by the lip 33. The spring 27 urges the rear end of the member24 downward and hence urges the latch 32 in a clockwise directionagainst the action of the spring 35. This is prevented, however, by aPIOjGCtIII lug 36 on a spindle 37 and which normal hangs the extremityof the tongue 34, j The spindle 37 is oscillatably-mounted in bearingsin the frame and has an outwardly projecting tappet 38 normally disposedin the path o-f movement of this tongue 34. The

spindle 37 is formed with a lug 36 which normally extends beneath theextremity of the tongue 34. w

This spindle 3.7 atone end has an arm 39 which normally extends downbeneath the laterally projecting lug 31. on the armature 30. This arm isslotted, as at 40. When the electro-magnets are de-energized, the lug onthe armature is disposed beyond the slot 40 and prevents the arm 39 fromswinging upb ward. When the electro-magnets are energized, however, thearmature 30 is drawn I ly over-.

rearward so that it's lug 31 moves in alignment with the slot 40, thearm 39 can then'turn in a clockwise direction in Figure 9. When arm 39is released the heavy spring 24 acts to depress the lip 33. This raisesthe tongue 34 which strikes the tappet 38 causing the spindle 37 torotate in a counter-clockwise direc-,

tion. This permits the-member 24 to'escape from the keeper under theaction of the spring 27. This, as before stated, raises the latch 21 andpermits the two valves of the door to open under the action of the doorsprings. As soon as member 24 has passedthe keeper the spring 35 acts toreturn the keeper to its original position and as the keeper swings in acounter-clockwise direction the tongue 34 bearing against the lug 36causes the spindle 37 to rotate in a clockwise direction carrying thearm 39 again to a position below the offset end of lug 31 of thearmature30.

, The electro-magnets are, of course, operatively connected to bindingscrews 41 mounted upon the frame and these binding screws in turn areconnected to wires leading to sockets 42 formed on the casing 26. Thesesockets are so arranged that wires may be plugged in, these wiresleading to the judges stand and being connected to a source of currentand to a button.

All of the various starting boxes are connected in circuit with thissingle button so that when the button is depressed the electro,-magnets29 associated with each of the starting'boxes are energized and thiscauses the instantaneous opening of the doors at all of the startingboxes so that the dogs all have a perfectly even start. If it is desiredto handicap any dog, the particular starting box is disposed'furtheraway from the finish or 7 goal of the race.

'While I have heretofore described the starting-box as if each dog had abox entirely separated from any other box,.it will be understood that Ido not wish to limit myself, as in greyhound racing a single large boxis used which is divided intostalls or separate boxes, but otherwisethan this the construction will be the same as-the Whippet boxes.However, while I do not wish to be limited to the use of a split door,that is a door formed in two leaves or valves, yet the split doorprovidesfor the quickest possible start, as a small 3 dog will if thedoors either lift up or drop down. It

will be seen that with this construction either getaway quicker than alarger dog dog may see, I permit thedogs to be incited y the waving ofrags or the like at the goal by the trainers before the doors are openedso that the dogs are on the qui vive to run the race before the doorsare opened and will make a quick start. If the dog has his headprojected through the opening in the door he is not only incited to raceby the waving of a red flag or the like, but by seeing the heads ofother dogs also projected through the openings in their respective doorswhich arouses the spirit of animation in the dog. If the doors did nothave openings through which the dogs could project their heads, the dogswould not be incited to race until after the doors were-opened and theywould be somewhat dazzled by coming out into the bright light and thenseeing their trainers and being incited to race.

' While I have illustrated certain details of construction andarrangement of parts, I do not wish to be limited thereto as it isobvious that many changes might be made in these details withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

I claim v 1. A starting box for dog racing having a door formed of twospring-opened leaves, the conjoined edges of the leaves being cut awayto provide an openin through which the dogvmay project his hea a latchholding the door closed, and means for releasing the aolatch.

2. A starting box for dog racing having a door, a spring ur g the doorto an open position, means ho ding the door closed comprising a pivotedlatch, an upwardly bowed. member attached at one end to said latch, acontractile spring engaging the rear portion of the member to urge itdownward to thereby urge the latch upward, an electrically releasedkeeper holding the rear end of said member upward, the keeper beingpivoted for oscillation in a vertical plane, a member disposed in thepath of said keeper and preventing downward movement in a verticalplane, an electro-magnet, and an armature acting when the electro-magnetis energized to release said member and permit the keeper to shift. a

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature. o ALFRED EDWARDBLAND. I

